Remembering Moody Park: The Death That Sparked a Houston Riot

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On Mother’s Day 1977, the body of a Mexican-American man was found floating in Houston’s Buffalo Bayou.

It was the body of Jose Campos Torres (also known as Joe), a 23-year-old Army veteran who was last seen in police custody.

When the body was found, people started to ask questions about what happened to Jose. The officers involved were eventually charged and convicted for his murder, but although the officers involved were charged and convicted, their sentence was suspended and they got a $1 fine.

The death of Jose Campos Torres started a chain of events that culminated in a violent uproar nearly a year later in Houston’s Latino community. Known as the Moody Park Riots, the event changed many lives forever—and brought reflection about the racial makeup of Houston’s police department.